The suspense is over. Siddaramaiah will lead Karnataka as the Chief Minister. DK Shivakumar will be its deputy chief minister. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge took the decision after a consensus with the two main contenders.
The swearing-in ceremony will take place at 12.30 on May 20 in Bengaluru.
The political fallout of not making a Vokkaliga the CM might well be pronounced. DK has been made a deputy. The Congress party will have to sell the decision to its new Vokkaliga voters as a gesture to please the community. Lakhs of Vokkaligas voted for the party in this election for the first time hoping that DK will be made the CM.
Siddaramaiah is a popular leader with a huge appeal among backward communities. The headache of the new leader will be on the front of managing the fiscal health of the State. As per an estimate, the promise of delivering 200 free units of electricity to all households in the State will cost the exchequer about Rs 40,000 Cr.
